Nebraska

Charlie McBride honored in Nebraska nearly 30 years after he tried — and failed — to retire

Published

11 months ago

January 22, 2025

Charlie McBride honored in Nebraska nearly 30 years after he tried — and failed — to retire

OMAHA, Neb. — A history lesson from Charlie McBride, who’s back in the state of Nebraska to receive the Tom Osborne Legacy Award on Wednesday night at the Outland Trophy Banquet: Twice during the final 2 ½ years of his 18-season run as Nebraska’s defensive coordinator, McBride walked into the head coach’s office and declared his plan to retire.

Neither meeting went quite as McBride anticipated, which he recalled during a conversation with The Athletic on Wednesday.

The first, in the midst of an undefeated season in 1997 with a team emotionally led by two of McBride’s all-time greats, Jason Peter and Grant Wistrom, McBride sat down with Osborne and told the legendary coach he was ready to “pull the plug” on his career.

McBride’s joints were failing. He was forced to coach and often recruit while sitting in a golf cart. It was a bad look, he said. McBride said he believed he was cheating the university. Time had arrived to bail out.

But Osborne said no.

“Why not?” asked McBride.

“Well, I’m going to retire,” McBride recalled hearing from Osborne, “and we both can’t leave Frank.”

Osborne promised Frank Solich years earlier that he would step down and hand the job to Solich in 1996. After the Huskers fell short of a third consecutive national championship, Osborne extended his stay by one season.

The details remained a secret to McBride, who’d coached at Osborne’s side since 1977. So McBride agreed to stay for one season. In 1998, with McBride at Solich’s side, Nebraska lost four games in a season for the first time in 30 years.

Much like Osborne two years before, McBride came back for another year. And in 1999, with a dominant defense to ease the strain on young quarterback Eric Crouch, McBride knew the time was right. In October came a second meeting with the boss. McBride told Solich, the second-year head coach, that he would announce his retirement after the bowl game.

Two days before the Fiesta Bowl, McBride reminded Solich of their conversation.

“He said, ‘What?’” McBride said. “He told me I didn’t tell him. I’m like, ‘Holy moly, this guy’s got amnesia or something.’”

Solich perhaps figured he could feign surprise and convince McBride to stay — a wise move. McBride’s group in 1999 ranked fourth nationally in total yardage allowed per game, second in passing efficiency and third in scoring.

That was his best defense, McBride said, led by defensive tackle Steve Warren and stars in the secondary Mike Brown and Ralph Brown. It was better than the 1994, 1995 and 1997 groups that won national championships, McBride said.

He announced his retirement in Arizona in the aftermath of that Fiesta Bowl, a 31-21 Nebraska win against Tennessee, the reigning national champ, and QB Tee Martin.

McBride was 60, the same age as Osborne when he retired. While Osborne went on to serve in Congress and run the athletic department at Nebraska for six years after his coaching days, McBride kept a low profile.

He underwent surgeries to replace both knees, a hip and a shoulder and to insert a pacemaker. McBride said he never considered a return to big-time coaching.

At 85, he doesn’t need a golf cart to get around. McBride looks good and still gabs about football as much as when he coached. During a visit Wednesday morning to Omaha’s Boys Town with the 2024 Outland winner, Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks, McBride said the award he’ll receive at the banquet comes with extra meaning “because of who it represents.”

Osborne, 87, is scheduled to attend the Outland banquet and no doubt toast to McBride. They directed the Huskers with efficiency and great chemistry despite their differences in personality.

Osborne coached with a conservative style and rarely deviated from an even keel. McBride showed his passion regularly. His voice rose above others on the practice field. In their 16 seasons together at the helm of the Nebraska offense and defense, the Huskers won 171 games — 13 games more than the second winningest program in that span, Florida State.

Players loved McBride for his fire. He took chances. Nebraska opponents, after McBride moved to a four-man front in the early ‘90s, feared his defenses in a way that exceeded even the feelings generated by Osborne’s methodical, power run game out of the option offense.

“I’m a pressure coach,” McBride said. “I love pressure.”

In McBride’s final seven seasons, Nebraska won 81 of 89 games, including bowl victories against Miami, Florida, Virginia Tech and Tennessee (twice).

It was a time far removed from the new 12-team College Football Playoff. Ohio State, in a 30-day stretch that came to an end Monday, beat Tennessee, Oregon, Texas and Notre Dame to win the national championship. The Buckeyes’ run to reach the top rates possibly as the most impressive in college football history.

McBride said his Blackshirts would have held up well under the kind of stress that Ohio State faced in December and January.

Why? Because of how Nebraska applied pressure with its defense.

“This would have been a better (format) for us,” McBride said. “Pressure is really one of the only ways to hurt the offenses today. If you can get to that quarterback fast, you’re doing your job. The way we did it, we would have been fine.”

(Photo of McBride (center) with Outland Trophy winner Kelvin Banks of Texas and Bob Mancuso of the Greater Omaha Sports Committee: Mitch Sherman / The Athletic)

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Nebraska

Marijuana reclassification order divides Nebraska leaders, advocates

Published

6 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Press Room

Marijuana reclassification order divides Nebraska leaders, advocates

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – President Donald Trump’s executive order to reclassify marijuana at the federal level is reigniting debate in Nebraska, where voters approved medical marijuana in 2024.

Trump signed the executive order on Thursday, directing federal agencies to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I drug to Schedule III. The move does not legalize marijuana nationwide but opens the door for more medical research.

Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers joined attorneys general from seven other states in releasing a statement saying they are “concerned” with the order. Hilgers said the science shows marijuana should remain a Schedule I drug.

Sen. Pete Ricketts also opposes the move. He signed a letter with 14 other Republican senators urging Trump not to reschedule marijuana. The letter argues marijuana is linked to mental health issues, impaired driving and workplace accidents.

Local medical marijuana advocate Lia Post disagreed with state leaders’ opposition.

“It just comes to the point, when is enough enough?” Post said.

Post said the argument from state leaders ignores what Nebraska voters decided in November 2024 when they overwhelmingly approved medical marijuana.

“It does open up the door for research, which really makes me happy, and the ability to speak to my doctor. It’s hard to be excited when you know you’re just a part of the big, giant grift that is going on,” Post said.

The federal change would allow the FDA to study marijuana’s medical uses. That could potentially help veterans, seniors, and people with chronic pain. Advocates said it also removes excuses for state leaders to delay implementation.

“I feel like we are in the exact same place we always are with the people wanting medical cannabis, the current law supporting medical cannabis, but the elected officials stopping medical cannabis,” Post said.

The federal rescheduling process could take several more months to finalize. The executive order does not legalize recreational marijuana. Trump made that clear Thursday, saying he is not open to that.

“It is a big deal, it is change, and change is always a big deal. Anything to do with medical cannabis and politics, I have to find the joy in whatever small wins there are, because there are so few,” Post said.

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Nebraska

Nebraska football adds run game coordinator, defensive edge coach to staff

Published

18 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

Nebraska football adds run game coordinator, defensive edge coach to staff

Courtesy Nebraska Athletics

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Nebraska football is bolstering its staff with the addition of a run game coordinator and a defensive edge coach.

On Friday, head coach Matt Rhule announced the hiring of run game coordinator Lonnie Teasley and defensive edge coach Roy Manning.

Teasley spent the last five seasons with South Carolina, serving as the Gamecocks’ offensive line coach for the last three years.

He was also an assistant offensive line coach on Rhule’s Temple staff in 2014. Teasley also had stints with the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Tech.

“Lonnie Teasley brings a wealth of offensive line coaching experience to our staff,” Rhule said in a press release. “Lonnie has had great success throughout his career and specifically has been one of the elite offensive tackle coaches in the country. He also has a proven track record as an excellent recruiter. Lonnie will make a positive impact on our coaching staff and the Nebraska Football program.”

Manning worked with new defensive coordinator Rob Aurich as a defensive edge coach at San Diego State in 2025. He helped the Aztecs rank among the nation’s top defenses.

Manning has also spent time coaching at USC, Michigan and Cincinnati.

“We are excited to add Roy Manning to our defensive staff,” Rhule said. “Along with Coach Aurich, he was a key part of the defensive transformation at San Diego State this past season. Roy has experience coaching defense from front to back and has coached at high-level programs throughout his career.”

Nebraska fired three assistant coaches following a lopsided loss to Iowa in November: defensive coordinator John Butler, offensive line coach Donovan Raiola and defensive line coach Terry Bradden.

Aurich has been hired to lead the defense and Geep Wade is Nebraska’s new offensive line coach.

SEE ALSO: Report: Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola to enter the transfer portal

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Nebraska

Husker Fans flock to NCAA Volleyball final four despite no Nebraska

Published

1 day ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

Husker Fans flock to NCAA Volleyball final four despite no Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – With 2025 NCAA Volleyball Championships in Kansas City this season, many Nebraska fans made plans ahead time given the driving distance to Lincoln. The Huskers lost in the regional final at home yet many fans still attended the final four.

“We just want to watch high-quality volleyball, grow the sport, and it’s a competitive sport, and there’s still four very good teams here,” Elizabeth Wright, a life-long Nebraska Volleyball fan, said.

Hundreds of Husker faithful dawned their red Nebraska gear as they entered the T Mobile Center on Thursday night with their team not playing. When asked about which team Nebraska fans would support, the majority of interviewees said Texas A&M.

“Part of me wants to watch Texas A&M win just because they beat us, and if they win, it gives us a little validation that we lost to the best team,” Karla Huneke, a Grand Island native and Nebraska Volleyball fan, said.

Overall, the surprise of Nebraska not making the NCAA Volleyball Championship didn’t impact Nebraskans from attending the final four.

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